"Comprehensive treatment addressing peripheral structural injury as well as neurophysiological changes occurring across distributed areas of the nervous system may help to improve outcomes in patients with chronic musculoskeletal disorders". - Pelletier et al. 2015

Functional Neuro-Orthopedic Rehabilitation (or FNOR) is an exciting new development in multidisciplinary rehabilitation. At its foundation, FNOR integrates neuro- and orthopedic rehabilitation. The benefits of the approach, however, exceed the sum of its parts. While many modern therapists engage in rehabilitation that depends on physical interventions alone (e.g. motor training or manual therapy), emerging neuroscience and medical discovery asserts that integration of neurorehabilitative therapies (e.g. specific brain-targeted modalities, cognitive/behavioral approaches and biofeedback) appears to markedly improve outcomes for patients compared to stand-alone orthopedic interventions (Pelletier et al, 2015). The FNOR framework allows for the clinical realization of this perspective in an efficient, cohesive system that also serves as a vehicle for future development of this idea. The FNOR approach is physical rehabilitative therapy for the future!

Why integrate Neurorehab with Orthopedics?

Chronic pain has been identified as a major, economic cost driver that exacts a tremendous toll in human suffering and disability. As part of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) enlisted the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to explore this issue.

The IOMs report revealed profound problems with current approaches to pain. While people with pain receive care from a variety of sources, including primary care, specialty care, alternative practitioners and pain medical pain clinics; and while treatments can include fairly current measures such as surgery, behavioral interventions, physical therapy, and complementary and alternative therapies, for a huge population of people, however, these options are inadequate to stem chronic pain and suffering. Modern approaches to pain, including physical rehabilitation, have to undergo profound changes.

The division between orthopedics (i.e. orthopedic physical therapy) and neurology (neuro-rehabilitation) is a major obstacle to real progress. FNOR represents a unique, modern, alternative to common orthopedic therapy. By intentionally, simultaneously driving constructive processes in the body and nervous system in parallel, the FNOR therapeutic approach opens opportunities for robust gains in function and impressive reductions in pain.